The warehouse door had barely slammed shut behind Gu Chil's retreating footsteps when Seo-joon grabbed Min-seo's arm and pulled her deeper into the shadows. His grip was iron, but his voice stayed low and controlled.
"They saw the cave," he said. "Rumors are turning into warrants. One more mistake and the pot stops being our leverage and starts being our execution order."
Min-seo yanked her arm free, eyes flashing with the same sharp pride that had first made him notice her. "Then stop treating me like fragile cargo. I'm not some weak delivery girl you can hide behind anymore. I heard what Gu Chil said about me. About us. If they come for the cave, I'm not running. I'm helping you draw them away."
Seo-joon studied her for a heartbeat. The bruise on her jaw from earlier still darkened her skin, but her chin was lifted, shoulders square. She was scared—he could see it in the tight line of her mouth—but she refused to shrink. That fire was exactly why he kept her close. Not just useful. Necessary.
"Fine," he said. "We split the crew. You and I lead Gu Chil north, away from the real cave. Make noise. Let them chase us. Wol and Baek take fifteen roots to Deok-su's warehouse. Tell him it's the first payment on the triple fee—branded under his name, door-to-door only, scarcity price. Mak-bong and Chae spread the counter-rumor: the roots are just lucky wild finds after the heavy rain. Anyone repeating Gu Chil's sorcery talk gets cut off from supply forever. No exceptions."
Mak-bong nodded, small face pale but determined. Wol muttered something about "young fools and old graves" but grabbed her basket. Baek Man-sik and Chae Jin-gu limped after her, clubs ready.
Seo-joon and Min-seo slipped out the back, deliberately loud, boots splashing through mud. Torches flickered in the distance. Gu Chil's voice carried on the night wind, drunk and ugly.
"Root boy! I know you're hiding something in that hole! The magistrate's men are already moving. Midnight's coming, and I'm going to enjoy watching them tear your little empire apart!"
They ran north through the twisting alleys, leading the pursuit in circles. Min-seo stayed right beside him, breath steady despite the pace. "You still haven't told me the truth," she said between strides, voice low enough that only he could hear. "How you keep pulling perfect roots from nowhere. How you always have more when everyone else is starving. I'm not blind, Seo-joon. And I'm not some pretty fool who'll spread her legs for secrets. If we're going to burn together at midnight, I deserve to know what I'm burning for."
He didn't answer right away. The wrapped bundle under his arm—the pot hidden inside dirty straw—felt heavier than it should. For the first time he felt something cold brush against his thoughts, like the clay itself was listening, feeding on the calculation he was making right now: how much truth to give her, how much to keep as leverage.
"Not yet," he said finally. "The secret keeps us alive. The second it gets out, we're both dead. Or worse—owned by whoever grabs it first."
Min-seo's laugh was bitter. "And when you're the one doing the owning? When the business grows and you start looking at me the same way you look at every other tool in your ledger?"
He glanced at her, jaw tight. "I protect what's mine. That includes you. But protection has a price. You already know that."
They ducked behind a collapsed laundry house just as Gu Chil's torches rounded the corner. Four men now, plus the thin official clutching a fresh sealed paper. Gu Chil's scarred face glistened with sweat and rage.
"I saw you slip in there empty-handed and come out loaded," he bellowed. "Sorcery. The whole row is whispering it. Midnight bells are about to ring, root boy. Deok-su can't shield you from a full warrant. But I'll make you a deal. Hand over the girl and the supply route. I'll forget the cave. Otherwise I'll make sure they question her first—thoroughly—while you watch."
Min-seo stepped out before Seo-joon could stop her, voice ringing clear and proud. "You want me? Come take me. But when your magistrate dogs strip me for questioning, they'll see exactly who marked me. And they'll know the root seller isn't afraid of men who need twenty swords to feel strong."
Gu Chil's grin faltered for half a second. The official raised the warrant higher. "The order is signed. The cave will be searched at midnight. The girl comes with us now."
Torches surged forward.
Seo-joon pulled Min-seo back, knife already in his hand. "Run on my signal," he whispered. "Head for Deok-su's warehouse. The roots are already there. If we reach him first, the silver buys us time."
Steel scraped. Shouts echoed.
Midnight bells began to toll from the distant temple—low, heavy, final.
Gu Chil charged.
And somewhere in the hidden cave, the pot sat wrapped and waiting, ancient hunger stirring as its new owner gambled everything on one more ruthless move.